Plushenko Fan Thread - Road to Sochi

Please use this thread to post news, videos, pictures, and links about Evgeny. Information from Russian media and translations are very welcome and appreciated by those of us who don't speak the language!

And my little disclaimer... this thread is meant to be a place for Plushenko's fans to gather. Of course, we don't own it and everyone has the right to post their opinions here, but it is meant to be a drama-free zone and I'm hoping people will find other places to have substantive discussions about how he ranks among other skaters. So if you're not a fan, you are welcome, but enter at your own risk if you don't want to read fawning about Plushenko.

&#8220;All of his life Zhenya [Plushenko] has been demonstrating a commitment to sports and he really does a lot to promote figure skating and sports in general, so we could not hold back, and I made the decision to award him the medal,&#8221; Mutko said.

But that is sad he wont compete at NRW Trophy, he said in an interview:

"I recently returned from Germany, where I had scheduled medical examination. I had a little surgery - they put the catheter in my back, cleaning the spine. So now I need to control...... For me, the near future - is the championship of Russia, and then, most likely, the European Championship. Next - let's see.

- Your coach Alexei Mishin mentioned the event in Dortmund.
- I think that the first purely sporting start of the season for me would be, after all, the Championship of Russia. I will not be in a hurry, to go to some small event - just go to the Championship of Russia. We decided to do all, like in last season."

Before Vancouver, most men's skaters didn't try to do a quad. Nowadays, quad is no longer surprise. Skaters plan a quad in both SP and LP and if they don't have three, their victory will be difficult.
Chan used to be one of the most famous being quadless. However after Olympics he changed. In recent two seasons, he landed three quads in SP and LP.

"I think men's figure skating is fun to watch now. I started training a quad from Vancouver's season. Then I was thinking I need to do at least two quads, otherwise I'll not be able to compete in the future. The quadruple jump energizes for skaters."

However, all Japanese skaters say the quad is special. They can land Triples or Triple Axel without thinking. But the quad is completely different...

Painful Memory in Vancouver

Chan also says "The quadruple jump takes more time. It needs the power of concentration, especially, pattern of before takeoff is very important. Maybe people think I do a quad easily. No. It's not easy as they think it is."

Vancouver Olympics is a bitter memory for Chan. He won a silver medal at the World championships in 2009. So his home country expected him Olympic gold medal. Then he was 19.

"All our athletes wanted to win and felt nervous. Everyone felt like that. Most of all, I was feeling like that. I wondered what would happen." However, he finished only fifth due to the injury of before 2009-2010 season.
Olympics was totally different. "It was a very big event. It's impossible to compare Olympics with other events. It had enormous number of viewers. Though when you stand on the ice, I think it was no different from any other competitions."

But according to him, the reason why he didn't get a medal was not because he was tense but he felt pressed. "I really wanted very much to compete soon. So I couldn't calm down. At the Olympics, I learned a lot. For example, how important to control my mind and to stay healthy."

The Strongest - Plushenko and Takahashi

.....
Now we can see many strong skaters all over the world. But Chan names the 2006 Olympic champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Evgeni Plushenko and the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi as his biggest rivals in Sochi.

"I think they are the strongest skaters. Although today many strong skaters do quads, they are still young and inexperienced. But Plushenko and Takahashi have a lot of experience. I do think it is a great advantage in Olympics" - Chan said.

But that is sad he wont compete at NRW Trophy, he said in an interview:

"I recently returned from Germany, where I had scheduled medical examination. I had a little surgery - they put the catheter in my back, cleaning the spine. So now I need to control...... For me, the near future - is the championship of Russia, and then, most likely, the European Championship. Next - let's see.

- Your coach Alexei Mishin mentioned the event in Dortmund.
- I think that the first purely sporting start of the season for me would be, after all, the Championship of Russia. I will not be in a hurry, to go to some small event - just go to the Championship of Russia. We decided to do all, like in last season."

Click to expand...

Plushenko has accomplished so much! He is truly one of the greatest skaters and competitor ever. I am concerned that he is still not healthy enough to compete. It is good that he is not rushing, but will he be ready for the Sochi Olympics? I really hope that he will be. Competitor that he is, he will skate even if he is not completely healthy. I wish him good health first, then an Olympic medal in 2014, but most important of all, happiness in his life.

Plushenko has accomplished so much! He is truly one of the greatest skaters and competitor ever. I am concerned that he is still not healthy enough to compete. It is good that he is not rushing, but will he be ready for the Sochi Olympics? I really hope that he will be. Competitor that he is, he will skate even if he is not completely healthy. I wish him good health first, then an Olympic medal in 2014, but most important of all, happiness in his life.

Click to expand...

I'm sure he and Mishin know what they are doing. I don't worry, he's healthy in this time. The other part of interview:

"- It turns out the issue with the World Championship 2013 is closed?
- No, it is not closed. I'm just used to focus on the the nearest goals. Now I think only about the Championship of Russia. After Sochi - I will start thinking about the European Championships. And after him - the World Championship. Everything should be decomposed by shelves.
- In what stage is the work on yours programs?
- We have now a new methodology. I many times a day skated entirely short and free programs. Yes, this is a major burden - both, physical and emotional. That's why we changed a little preparation. I work with a trainer on general physical training, a former sprinter Vitaly Balykin. Just today, for the first time, I go to work with kickboxing coach. I also swim - also with the coach. I try to study and drive in training new metods. Now, this is not just a figure skating, where there is always work at the same muscles, than different sports, which allow me to develop harmoniously."

And he is really happy, his wife is eight month pregnant, the baby will be born soon. I'm afraid, the baby will be born during the Rus Nat Champs, maybe it will disturb Plushy, because he can't be there, or won't go to the competition....

Alexei Mishin: "Period of offenses for Zhenya and me passed long ago. I'd say, actually we never had such a period."

- Will Evgeni Plushenko compete in Dortmund?

- The decision hasn&#8217;t been made yet. Recently, in Germany Zhenya underwent a preventive procedure under general anesthesia, after which he missed a week of training. We understand very well that we need these competitions both for ranking points and for the experience. And just to show that the person is alive. After all, except the test skating, nobody really saw him. But on the other hand, I do not want to send Zhenya to fight while he is unprepared. It is one thing - to show short fragments in the show, and quite another - to skate the entire program. It requires a different level of readiness. Actually, later I plan to organize special small competitions here in St. Petersburg, invite serious athletes, judges, and check Evgeni at work.

- Recently Plushenko has a jubilee. And at the Birthday show in St. Petersburg you gave to your student a picture (portrait) of himself and his wife.

- Zhenya is a wealthy person. To give him a watch, a ring, or even a car is no sense. He came to such a period of his life when he doesn&#8217;t have to buy cars - companies are fighting for the right to give it to him. Why did I give such a picture? His wife Yana is shown in it as a guardian angel. In connection with the anniversary I was often asked what I&#8217;d like to wish to Zhenya. I wish him as an athlete wins, there is nothing to explain. And I wish him as a man, as a person to have a good family - surely with Yana. Of all the women he met on his life's way, she is the most appropriate person.

- They say you have not been in Moscow for his birthday party.

- I just arrived from Canada, and on the following Saturday I had scheduled practices. That's why I didn't go. I considered that it would be right.

- Did not you worry that Evgeni would be offended?

- Time of offenses passed long ago. Actually we never had such a period, in my opinion. For most people it is typical in case of failure to transfer the blame to the time, the music, the ice, the pants which bothered. For Evgeni it is absolutely not typical. That's a rare feature for a high-class athlete, and generally for a person. Even at such a difficult time for us, as, for example, Salt Lake City, I did not hear from him a single reproach.

- And after Vancouver?

- And after Vancouver I did not hear it either.

- And is it typical for him to blame himself?

- If he blames himself, it is not in the format of public statements. Each difficulty generates additional forces in him. Now, for example, Zhenya understands very well how high will be the level of competition which is waiting for him in Sochi, and therefore he increases the demands to himself, his working ability. Also I would like to say about age. It seems 30 is much for an athlete. But I still can not find any indication of the coordination oldness in Zhenya. And if you look at his attitude to sport, at what is called the fun of skating &#8211; really, there is this fun in him. Often, if something does not work out, Zhenya starts to jump on two feet, fool around, tease. There is visible unspent youth in him. And now it may be, even more than during the Turin Games. Then he was less cheerful and dynamic.

- You said you do not like parties and celebrations. But Plushenko seems to like to be in the spotlight. On this basis, you never had a tension?

- That's just a delusion. His wife belongs to the field of show business, and there you can not go into the woods and live in a tent. This world can not exist without a certain number of magazine articles, television stories and so on. But as an athlete Plushenko selects channels of communication very tough.

- The decision that he will skip the Worlds this season is final?

- If it's possible, I won't answer this question.

- I'll ask in a different way. At the Worlds in men's figure skating Russia will be represented by only one skater. And it will depend on his result how many athletes our country will be able to have at the Sochi Games. Naturally, many hope that Plushenko will change his mind and earn two or even three spots for the home Games. Are you pressed because of this?

- We need one good spot, not two or three bad ones. That is our position.
-------